Qualcomm ships ARM chip to challenge Intel in cloud data centers

Qualcomm’s much-anticipated ARM-based Centriq 2400 product line, which started shipping commercially this week, is a worthy contender to break Intel’s virtual monopoly in the server processor arena, where data center operators are thirsting to see competition to help bring down costs.

An unsolicited acquisition bid for Qualcomm from Broadcom, emerging server-chip competitors and legal wrangles involving Apple and other vendors, however, cast a bit of a shadow on prospects for the new…